Today we have the following Refuge vacancies:

C&YP Refocus Project

ReFocus was a two year partnership between West Mercia Women’s Aid (WMWA) and The Rural Media Company.

The films created through the project explore the impact that domestic abuse has had on young people, particularly those living in rural areas, and have been made with young people who have lived through domestic abuse but are now living in safety.

For many of the participants the ReFocus project was the first time they had met other young people affected by domestic abuse, and also the first time they had discussed the issue of abuse publicly.

The project worked with young people in Herefordshire and Worcestershire, aged 11-16 for a six to eight month period in a mixture of weekly, fortnightly, and weekend workshops. The workshops included drama, film, animation, visual arts, creative writing and photography and had many positive benefits. Year One produced the film The Things We Took With Us and Year Two, three films, Question, Trust, and Space plus accompanying documentaries.

The young people not only became proficient in using the equipment and working together creatively, but also gained an enormous amount of self confidence in expressing their own thoughts and ideas. As the project progressed they learnt that other young people shared similar experiences, and so began to think creatively about what they wanted the films to say.

Over the two years of the project we explored many different stories and experiences, all of which played a significant part in shaping the final material.

The intention behind the films was to not only share young people’s experience of domestic abuse but to help identify possible gaps in service provision or support for young victims. The films have already had a significant impact on Local Safeguarding Children Boards and at national conferences.

One of the young people involved said, “I’m very proud of what we have done. It’s easier once you have spoken about it, because you know other people have had similar experiences. It shows that there is light at the end of the tunnel”

"Young people are often referred to as the “hidden victims” in abusive households, so it is fantastic that they have been given a voice by this creative and inspirational project", Jan Frances, former CEO, West Mercia Women’s Aid explains, "I’m sure the powerful messages will stay with viewers for a very long time.”

Space is a short film exploring the experience of two brothers who are living in a refuge following their family's flight from a perpetrator. The boys are living in cramped conditions with their mum and two sisters. They are frustrated and exasperated by the rules that control their current living environment.

The film was based entirely on the brother's experiences of living in a refuge. We wanted to make a film that was honest and reveal what the experience was like for the boys. They were relieved that they and their mum were safe but were also unhappy and worried by their experience of living there.

Although the boy's experiences were mixed, refuges are a crucial part of the support for women and young people and an essential gateway into other services. But there is a gap in provision to address the specific needs of teenagers, particularly boys.

Question is an examination of what it is to be a man. The boys in the group had both negative and positive experiences of male role models in their lives and many of the boys were understandably protective of their mums and their female siblings.

Some of the men that had shaped their childhoods, fathers, stepfathers and partners of their mums, were defined by the fear they created. There was an incredible feeling that they would all reject violence, however it became apparent the boys all had questions about the type of man they would grow up to be.

The film was a chance for the boys to examine masculine roles and images through a comic book style. It was also important to create a film where the boys could be celebrated as the lovely, funny, bright young people that they are.